


Six is the Number of Beginning

by shinshia



Category: Once Upon a Time RPF
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Jennifer's pov, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Morrilla, Slow Burn, based on real life events, with my own twist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 01:34:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7665193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinshia/pseuds/shinshia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jennifer didn't do well on their first day of Season 6 shooting. She hid in her trailer shutting everyone out, but then Lana knocked on her door. Later chapters will rely on real life events like SDCC and Teen Choice Award, and of course their shooting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I'm fully aware that Lana and Fred are happily married in reality and they are the relationship goal imo. But in this little piece of fantasy, I envision what if Fred doesn't exist. This story is/will be inspired by real events (with my own twist) but the ladies' interactions are purely my imagination. 
> 
> A/N: Updates won't be regular but I will try to have at least one update every two weeks. I live for kudos and reviews so please click the button :D Last but not least, thank you Beka for being my beta. You are the best!

_Bang!_

Jennifer closed the door of her trailer with more force than necessary. Tears welled up in her eyes after she had failed another take. This was the first day of Season 6 shooting, and it was supposed to be a wonderful day. She could finally see her friends after three months of hiatus, so it was going to be great, right? But here she was, being a troublemaker and fucking up the shooting process. She excused herself and asked for a break before further embrassing herself in front of her co-workers. 

Sitting up on her knees in her couch, her awful memories of last season were floating up onto the surface. Last summer she spent so much time researching the tales of dark swan, planning to surprise every viewer with her interpretation of the new Dark One. Nevertheless, her hard work wasn't appreciated by her bosses, and the ratings even dropped to a new low during her arc. _Maybe my time as actress is over. Maybe I should focus on directing only._ She rested her forehead on her arm, weeping silently. 

_Knock Knock!_

She heard the knocking on her door, but she didn’t have the heart to answer. She was hoping whoever it was would give up soon and leave her alone. 

_Knock Knock Knock!_

Fuck. Apparently it was not happening. The knocking sound went on and the knocker was obviously becoming impatient. Quickly wiping her tears away, Jennifer heaved a sigh and prepared herself for the unknown. After a few seconds or more, she put on a tough face, finally walked to the door and unlocked it. 

_Of course it was Lana._ The brunette was still in her mayor costume, looking worried and concerned. Feeling guilty of her own dismiss, Jennifer stepped back mutely and let her coworker come in.

Silence. 

Lana hadn't made a sound since she set foot in the trailer. She parted her lips, willing to spill words, but closed them again after a moment of consideration. She didn’t know the right words to comfort her friend. It was instinct that brought her here, and her brain needed a few clock ticks to catch up. 

“Hmm...do you want anything? Coffee?” It was Jennifer who broke the uncomfortable silence. 

“No.” Lana declined politly. She took a deep breath before she continued, “I just want to make sure you’re fine. It happens to everyone of us.”

_Said by someone who rarely fucks up,_ Jen thought. “Look, I’m fine.” She tried to put on a weak smile. “And I’m sorry for upsetting the shooting schedule. Give me a minute and I will come back to the shoot.”

“It’s okay if you want to take more than a few minutes you know. We understand.” Lana suggested, assuming it was the best not to push the blonde back to set immediately. 

“Maybe the rest of them, but not you,” Jennifer retorted. It was true. Everyone knew Lana nailed almost every take perfectly. Hell, even the fans knew after they watched the bloopers from last season, in which Lana was the only lead that didn’t have any retake in it. 

Lana frowned at the comment. “What do you mean?”

“It’s a compliment. I guess you’ve noticed most of our retakes are never a result of your fault. Seriously, how can you always be so patient when the rest of us ruin a scene so often?” 

Lana wasn’t feeling fully comfortable now that she became the subject of topic, but at the same time she was relieved to see that Jennifer seemed to be feeling better. “Don’t demean yourself, dear! And you know fame didn’t hit me until this show, so I take my job very seriously.” She could sense a glare shooting at her. “Not saying you’re not serious, of course. But I had such a rough road before I got here.”

“And now it’s my turn.” She sighed. 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Jennifer toyed with the idea for a few seconds, thinking if it was wise to share her worries and concerns with her co-worker. She had spent more than a decade in the TV industry, so she knew how dangerous it could be if your colleague held a grip of tabloid material, something that could bring damage to your career. But something about Lana made her feel different, made her believe this woman would never mean her any harm. Seeing the sincerity in her big brown eyes, she nodded. 

So she told her about her frustration of the poor reception of Dark Swan, the degradation of her character, and most of all, the fear of her fans leaving her. “Swan Queen fans love you, and those Captain Swan ones adore Colin. They don’t give a shit about me,” Jen whimpered. She just confessed her insecurity to the woman, things that she had never told another soul. Tears fell from her eyes again when she talked about her biggest fear. This time she didn’t bother to wipe them away, merely shutting her eyes to close herself off from the outer world.

But then she felt Lana plopped down on the couch next to her. The Latina locked her in a tight hug, smoothing her back gently. 

“Don’t say that. You know it’s not true.” She was heartbroken to see Jennifer feeling so worthless. She never thought under the usual strong appearance, the woman in her arms was drowning in worries. 

Never feeling more safe than this moment, Jennifer did not hold back anymore. She leaned in and cried on Lana’s shoulder. All her pains and fears were smoothed away with every touch from Lana. 

Noticing the sobbing was finally dying down, Lana cupped Jen’s cheeks in her hands, wiping her tears with her thumbs. She waited until the green eyes meet brown. “Never ever think you are not good enough. Fuck those who said you are not. And the bad review? Let’s be honest, we are all aware it’s more due to bad writing than your performance.” 

Jennifer couldn’t help but chuckled softly. “Don’t say it out so loud! I still want to work with you.”

“And most importantly, I know the fans love you,” Lana reassured. “They always ask about you in the conventions!”

“Maybe I should go to more conventions then?” Jen sighed. In the past years she only went to those she was required to. Perhaps it was time to change.

“Whatever you feel comfortable. I know you feel uneasy at big events.” Lana paused and then went on with a quiet voice. “Just don’t forget you are loved,” she added before planting a chaste kiss on Jen’s forehead. 

Jen’s face turned crimson instantly, but Lana seemed oblivious to the reaction brought by her unmindful kiss. _Thank god for the poor lighting in trailer_. “Hmm...thank you, for listening. It means a lot to me,” she said with a shy smile. “Er, I guess they are waiting for you to shoot the next scene. I’ll go clean myself up and join you guys soon.”

Lana smiled in return before she left. “See you later then!” 

Waving goodbye, she sent her co-worker out. The trailer returned to silence after the departure of the Latina. But no. Not really. The beating of her heart was echoing in Jennifer’s head. 

What was this feeling? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I end here or TBC? :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimers in Chapter 1. Thank you for the kudos and subscriptions and comments, they mean a lot to a newbie writer like me! 
> 
> And of course, thanks Beka for spending time to beta this chapter! xoxo

After Lana stopped-by, Jennifer got back on her feet at the set. She finished her scenes perfectly and managed to make up for the time she disrupted. Between the takes, when Lana caught Jen’s eyes darting over to her, she flashed back a warm smile, silently telling the blonde she was proud of her.

Blushing, Jen looked away. Luckily they didn’t have a one-on-one scene today.

“Cut! Okay, that’s a wrap for today. Good job everyone!” the director said, clapping his hands to show his gratitude for the cast and crew.

Putting down the prop sword in her hand, Jen felt a huge surge of relief that the day was finally over. The fighting scene exhausted her, yes, but it was not the only source of her weariness.

_The kiss_.

It had been occupying her mind since that moment. With such a distraction, Jen was surprised that she could still function at work. The feeling of soft lips was still lingering on her skin. Once again, her eyes fled to Lana as she thought of the woman.

If Lana had noticed the glance from Jennifer, she didn’t show any signs. She was chatting and laughing with their colleagues, and didn’t give away a single ounce of tiredness despite it being after midnight already. The woman always amazed Jen with how much she enjoyed her work.

_Forget the kiss. You’re a grown-up for god’s sake. It wasn’t even on lips!_

Jennifer admonished herself with a sigh, retreating to her trailer and getting ready to go home. Everyone knows Lana has a big heart and was a physical person. She had to convince herself not to overthink it.

\---xxx---xxx---xxx---xxx---xxx---

The sound of phone vibration didn’t stop until it woke Jennifer up. She opened and rubbed her eyes sleepily, noticing the sky was barely lit. She assumed everything could wait for a few more hours and tried to go back to sleep. And then came another throb of vibration.

Jennifer groaned, reaching for her cell unwillingly and unlocked it.

She found several emails of the SDCC schedule and extremely quick group replies from her colleagues.

This was not her preferred way to start a new day.

Jen threw her phone down on her nightstand and sighed. She never truly enjoyed conventions, especially big conventions like SDCC. It was more for the media coverage than for the fans. Cameras were everywhere, as if she hadn’t spent enough time in front of the lens. Unfortunately, she was obligated to attend as stated in her contract, and she didn’t have a convenient excuse like Ginny. If it was up to her, she would rather hide in her own apartment, do some reading, and have a relaxing weekend.

But then she remembered her conversation with Lana yesterday. She needed to reach out to the fans more. Feeling a bit guilty over not showing up more for people who loved her, she made a mental note not to forget email her agent later before her head hit the pillow again. She would take her first step and do a solo panel this year. It was now or never.

\---xxx---xxx---xxx---xxx---xxx---

They finished the shooting of the first episode in a week as scheduled and that left the cast a few days to prepare for the convention on Sunday. Since Jennifer’s best friend Rose Mclver was attending SDCC for her show too, they decided to meet up in San Diego two days before their panels and have some girls time together. Chilling with Rose definitely put her at ease and she became more ready for the coming panel.

Colin and Josh arrived in the next evening, inviting her to have dinner together. She was slightly disappointed that Lana had not yet shown up so she could extend the invitation. With no better option, Jen agreed to dine with the guys.

It turned out to be a delightful dinner. They talked about the places they traveled during the summer and joked about some fans’ crazy speculations of the show. None of them were active users of social media, but that did not mean they didn’t lurk around. Josh laughed so hard that he even spilled his wine when Jen told them about a fan’s theory of Emma being pregnant.

The men seemed to enjoy a rare moment without their wives and kids too much and wanted to continue their night with a drink or two but Jen declined politely. Their panel would start early in morning, and having a hangover was not the wisest decision. Her refusal did not stop them though. “Parenting is tough and we don’t have a break like this too often,” they said before getting into the cab. “See you tomorrow then!”

Jen walked back to her hotel and tried to get everything ready for tomorrow. She brought a few dresses with her, but she decided to opt for comfy over sexy this year. The modest long dress would do and continued the flowery-theme of last year.

After applying her facial mask to keep her skin in perfect condition for tomorrow, she didn’t bother to waste her time going through the attachment in SDCC email. She rolled her eyes at the appendix of the general guidelines. All of the listed items pointed to one thing only: to stick with canon. Hell, they were all professionals, of course they knew the drill. Such a reminder couldn’t be more unnecessary. They understood the main purpose of having the cast at SDCC was to gain as much media coverage as possible. It was all about showing up as one big happy family and teasing with potential developments to keep the viewers interested.

A text popped up suddenly, blocking her view of the schedule. It was from Lana. Failing to repress a smile on her face, she opened the text.

_Hey! Quick question, which one is better? Bex says the red one but Em says green. Help me!_

Following the text were images of Lana in two different dresses. The red one was leather-made, hugging her curves fittingly and showing her arms. The green one, on the other hand, was a silky shirt dress, giving a soft, lightweight feel. Jen saved the photos before she texted back.

_You look fierce in red! And didn’t you wear green last year?_

A moment later, her phone vibrated again.

_Oh good memory. Red it is then. Thanks!_ A kissy face at the end.

Like a rewind button was pressed, the kiss in trailer was replaying in her head instantly. Jen really tried to forget the incident but for some reason it just stuck in her head. Half sheepish, half annoyed, she went to washroom to clean and cool off her face and get ready to sleep.

Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In real life, the NerdHQ panel was not Jmo's first solo panel. I ignored this fact for the sake of story development. Oh and I ignored Ava the dog too. Jmo brought her dog to SDCC but it just didn't fit in this story. 
> 
> I know they didn't have lots of interactions (I tagged Slow Burn soooo) but I promise there will be more in next chapter :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimers in Chapter 1. Please don't send this fic to the cast, just don't. 
> 
> I'm so so so sorry for my late update... I'm going through a heartbreak and since this chapter was planned to be fluffy-ish, my brain refused to cooperate. But worry not, I have at least outlined up to their relationship established. I will not abandon this fic. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you so much for the reviews. I love them and they pushed me to update as soon as I could :) 
> 
> Of course, thank you Beka for being my beta. Sorry for the heavy workload this week. (and thanks for the emotional support)
> 
> P.S. who knew Jmo really decided to attend so many conventions in the coming year?! I feel like a prophet :D

Jennifer decided to lay low at SDCC this year. Season six would be all about Regina and the Evil Queen, and she didn’t want to steal any spot lights from Lana. _You know fame didn’t hit me until this show_ , she remembered Lana’s words and was genuinely happy for her friend to finally have a centric arc for her character. So, a light makeup and a simple braid would do. Nothing fancy. 

She joined her fellow cast mates in the conference room before the convention had officially begun. Her bosses were already there, doing an interview with some reporters. They saw her enter the room and gestured her towards the catered buffet without stopping the conversation. 

There she saw Lana, Emilie, and Bex. Lana, like in the photo she sent last night, was in a bright red leather dress. It hugged her figure perfectly, highlighting her assets. She looked stunning. Even though the attire didn’t show much of her skin, she still gave off a sexy vibe. Oh, and the black nails, they definitely gave the vibe an extra kick. Jen’s eyes moved downward, and she gulped at the view of her calves. Lana wore a pair of pointy heels, gold in color, which was a very bold choice considering the shade of the dress. Somehow this lady pulled it off without any trouble. 

For some reason Lana was handing her apple clutch bag to an eye-rolling Emilie, and Bex was taking a video of that. The trio were laughing, clearly having fun within a small group. Suddenly, Jen felt like she was an outsider, and dared not to intrude into their circle. 

“Hey Jen! Good morning!” Lana said cheerfully when she noticed Jen was gawking at her. “You look beautiful! The dress suits you.” 

“Er, thanks,” replied Jen. “I just want to grab a muffin and a banana. Sorry to disturb.”

Lana smiled at her and giggled, “Nonsense! You are not disturbing anything. We haven’t had breakfast yet. Do you mind if we sit with you?”

Emilie was behind Lana, raising an eyebrow as if she was surprised by her friend’s request. It didn’t escape from Jennifer’s eyes. She tried to figure out if Emilie objected the idea, but Emilie remained silent. 

“Sure.” She nodded. 

The breakfast was enjoyable yet slightly awkward. Lana seemed to be overly excited about the day, which was totally understandable. Her food was barely touched as she was too busy initiating conversation with Jen, even though Jen was only giving her short responses. Emilie and Bex mostly talked to themselves, though Jen constantly felt like Emilie was giving her a curious look. 

The group was soon interrupted by Colin and Josh. Lana grimaced subtly at them but she didn’t say a word. Jen couldn’t tell if Lana was annoyed because of their disturbance or the strong scent of alcohol from Colin. Looking at the man who was obviously suffering from a hangover, Jen couldn’t help but mouth at her on-screen lover, _I told you so._

“Ugh, shut up Jen. Give me 30 minutes and I’ll be fine.” Colin groaned, rubbing his temples. 

“You only have 15 minutes, tops,” sounded Adam from behind, giving everyone a shock. Their boss frowned at the male lead before he continued. “Does anyone have questions about today’s schedule? We will start the day by doing a photoshoot first, and our main panel will be in the afternoon. If you need to refresh your makeup or fix your hair, do it now. Jared will be joining us in a minute. Jen, Colin, a word please?”

The two were bewildered as they followed their boss to a corner. “Adam?” asked Jen. 

“Don’t look so worried, it’s not something serious,” spoke the producer. “Since Ginny is not with us today, and…after the departure of Sean, this year I need to count on you two to emphasize the romance of the show. Try to stay in character, alright?” 

Jen reluctantly nodded. _As if it’s a new request,_ she thought. 

“And Jen, the usual. I’m not saying you can’t interact with Lana but try to keep a distance in front of cameras. You know we don’t-”

“-want to give the audience the wrong message. I got this.” Jen finished his words coldly. 

She had been trying to understand this so called "for the sake of audience" policy for years but she simply couldn’t. She never explicitly voiced out her disagreement, though she felt what Adam requested her to do was…ridiculous. How did her interaction with Lana affect the show? In fact, since her hiatus with the said lady on social media, it did nothing but harm her personal image. Fans had been accusing her of being homophobic, since she no longer supported Swan Queen in public. It upset her so much that they had long forgotten it was her who shut up the inaccurate allegation from that stupid dwarf actor 3 years ago. And how could they be unaware that Emma’s lesbian-like manner was her own acting choice! Even the blind could see she had always been on their side! But…things changed since Emma and Hook were officially together. The fans were clueless that it was not her decision to mention nothing but canon. She was under contract and she had to say what the PR team wanted her to say. Sometimes she was a tad jealous that Lana could freely embrace all her fans. It was a blessing in disguise that the general audience didn't care so much about Outlaw Queen. But well, unlucky for her, she had to keep her opinions to herself for the sake of Captain Swan. 

Their assistant led them to a studio for the group photo shoot. Due to the absence of Ginny and Bobby, TVline decided to separate them into two groups by the easiest option: the ladies, and the guys. 

“Maybe you can do one for Colin and Jennifer too?” asked Eddy, who was supervising their PR. 

_Of fucking course a photo of Captain Swan too_ , Jen cursed in her head. She wasn't exactly opposed to the pairing of Captain Swan. She understood a romance between a princess and pirate had a special brand of attractiveness but sometimes it was just too much. The plot of the romance was eating up her character and reducing her to pathetic woman. She did her best to offer a grin in front of the camera, not surprised to find Colin was unwilling to do an intimate pose as well. He was still sobering himself up. Both of them just wanted to get it done as quickly as they could and leave.

When it was time to take the portrait of the female casts, Jennifer’s first instinct was to stand next to Lana before Adam’s words (or warning?) rang in her mind. Reluctantly she stood at the side and let Emilie stand between them. They did a few standard group shots, but the photographer didn’t seem to be satisfied with the photos.

“Ladies, can you do a group hug instead? Show some connection!” he instructed.

“Like this?” Emilie wrapped her arms around Jen tightly. Jen wasn’t expecting this sudden physical intimacy, and she was even more shocked to find Lana’s hand was on her too. She smiled sheepishly for the camera. 

“Exactly! One more!”

And then from an angle that the camera couldn’t see, Jen felt Lana move her right palm downward from her arm, and gently caress her waist with her thumb. Her sheepish smile turned into a bright grin. She wasn’t sure exactly what this small action meant but no way it could be anything bad.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may want to know I rearranged the sequence of real events. And no, the real Colin wasn't drunk at SDCC (from what I know). 
> 
> If you are interested, the corresponding photos are here:  
> Jen/Colin --- http://i.imgur.com/PkAHHDP.jpg  
> 1st group shot of the ladies --- http://i.imgur.com/ZgD1XxS.jpg  
> 2nd one --- http://i.imgur.com/gLmSZWs.jpg  
> The last one, the one that Jen grinned like a dork --- http://i.imgur.com/mMxcB6C.jpg
> 
> Review please! :D


End file.
